Louisiana inspector general brings legal adviser on board

State
Inspector General Stephen Street has received the permission of the
state Civil Service Commission to hire a legal adviser for his office.
The position will not be covered by Civil Service rules and regulations.
The job was approved for a period that began Wednesday and expires Jan.
11, 2016.

Louisiana Inspector General Stephen Street

Street said that although the job is new, it does not
expand his staff. He said Robert Collins, the office's legal adviser who
has been detailed to the inspector general's office by Attorney General
Buddy Caldwell, will fill the slot and report to the inspector general
directly. "It is a zero-sum game," Street said.

Street's office
investigates mismanagement, waste and potential abuse and criminal
activity in state agencies. Street said that about 40 percent of the job
will involve communicating "on behalf of the Office of Inspector
General with elected and appointed officials, their staff members and
their legal counsel." About 30 percent of the duties, he said, will
include advising the office and all agency employees on legal issues
from "sensitive criminal investigations": 25 percent of the time dealing
with legislative issues, drafting bills and amendments, testifying
before committees and "consulting with legislators" as well as
monitoring bills that will affect the office. The other 5 percent of the
time, Street told the commission, will deal with "other related duties
as assigned."

Civil Service Commission officials said that
Collins now makes $90,000 a year. There was no indication if the change
will increase his salary, they said.